Poker players need a bankroll to keep the money they spend for games separate from the money they use in everyday life. Knowing how to properly manage this bankroll is crucial. Not doing so could push players to take too much from their bank accounts, which would be detrimental to their savings. The lessons and skills you can learn from managing your bankroll are also important when dealing with money outside of poker, especially because you’re dealing with funds for personal use.
As we’ve previously mentioned, saving money is crucial, and you don’t want to lose funds due to a preventable setback. Here are a few things you can learn about money management from poker to keep your finances in check so you can spend comfortably and securely.
Sticking to your budget
In poker, you might be tempted to spend in order to chase your losses or keep playing a good table. A lack of restraint or too much adrenaline could push your finances into a precarious position. A well-managed bankroll is important to have so that the money you’ve allocated for personal necessities won’t be affected. The same applies to your daily life as well: you should always spend within your means so you won’t end up having to take out loans, go into debt, or take from the money you’ve set aside for important expenses.
Estimate the amounts you will need for things like rent, tuition, or groceries, but don’t forget to factor in the smaller personal purchases too that can unexpectedly take a big chunk out of your finances.
Keeping your emotions in check
Poker can teach you to develop emotional stability to help tamp down the urge to needlessly spend money. Poker players must learn to avoid playing on a tilt to avoid giving away too much to their opponents and also so that their emotions won’t cause them to make aggressive moves that could end up costing them the game. An article on poker and business outlines how poker emulates the business world. This is because “it is a valuable skill to recognize emotions in your business life when making decisions about customers, competitors, and employees you don’t know very well”.
Being careful who you loan your money to
Lending money is always a precarious move, whether you’re lending to other people or reallocating important funds for a different purpose. In poker, lending money to another player means you may never get paid back, impacting your own bankroll and your chances of playing.
On the same note, loaning your own money to others — no matter how close you are or how much they promise to return it — could put your finances at risk. Knowing when to loan and when not to is one of the most important poker bankroll management tips, especially because it’s someone else’s actions impacting your money. Lending by itself isn’t bad, but frequently doing so may have major consequences on your funds.
Managing risks
While taking risks in poker could lead to big wins, players are never immune to defeat. Players need to know when to fold or when to go all in to avoid making careless mistakes and choices. They also need to take the proper precautions and be aware of the state of their finances before a game to avoid losing more than necessary.
On the flip side, a poker player is aware of these risks and is comfortable with risk evaluation when operating on incomplete information. Sometimes they just have to go with their gut. In order to successfully navigate risk in business, you will need to make big decisions when you may not have all the information you need.
To the untrained eye, playing poker may seem like an easy way to shell out cash. In reality, it actually requires a lot of thought and strategy to make sure money is carefully allocated and used wisely. Knowing how to play your cards right in both poker and life keeps you aware and cautious of your finances.